Thousands of foreign workers enter Canada annually to work temporarily with Canadian employers in areas of skills shortages. These workers must generally have a valid work permit to work in Canada.Work permits are generally sponsored by an employer, and are issued after the employee has received and accepted a job offer in Canada.

To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents:

a job offer from a Canadian employer

a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements; and

Written confirmation from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.

In most cases, it is up to your employer to get that written confirmation.